


Starting Somewhere

by LunarboundLunaria



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: But not Leon's family, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Cutesy, Developing Relationship, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Flirting, Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Galar - Freeform, Happy Ending, Hop is best brother, Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pokemon, Prepare for a super soft and cute story, Rivals to Lovers, Romance, Some Humor, Supportive Hop, Teen because there's some flirty humor, The rocky points of relationships, but nothing more, rivalshipping - Freeform, soft, the start of a relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22727779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunarboundLunaria/pseuds/LunarboundLunaria
Summary: Raihan had realized early in their "rivalry" that his feelings for Leon were more than anything he could've imagined, yet Leon still hasn't yet figured out Raihan's love for him, even though Raihan doesn't know how to make it anymore obvious. The story follows them through the start of their relationship and the good and bad that comes with a brand new relationship between two people who have never been in a relationship before.
Relationships: Dande | Leon & Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 20
Kudos: 86





	1. 10-nil

The roars of the crowd dimmed as Leon and Raihan left the field and entered Wyndon stadium’s changing room as another annual gym challenge ended with Raihan’s defeat once again. Leon took his black and gold cap off to run a hand through his deep purple hair which was plastered to his face from his own sweat. Raihan sat down on one of the benches, watching as Leon began putting his clothes in his locker.

“Crazy match out there, Raihan! You did great, even got me sweating with that new strategy.” 

“Of course, I have to keep you on your toes.” He smirked at Leon’s compliment, sliding his gold hoodie off and hanging it on the bench next to him carefully. His shirt underneath was a dark blue with orange stripes that matched his shorts. The shirt had a dragon logo square in the middle of the uniform to show to everyone that he was the dragon gym leader.

“Ten-nil now, eh? But, still, getting to me ten times is impressive… and your usage of weather!” Leon exclaimed as he slipped his black shirt off, “I can barely keep up with you…”

“Yet, you somehow always manage to pull ahead,” Raihan muttered, taking his orange hairband off, his black mohawk hair showing glistening droplets of sweat.

“True, true, I mean, I am, after all...” Raihan sighed playfully, knowing what was about to come as he kicked his feet up on the bench in front of him and he watched Leon. Leon smiled wide before he spun around in a circle and struck his famous Charizard pose, one arm up in the air, head slightly down, eyes closed, a wide smile on his face. “Galar’s Greatest Champion!” He said enthusiastically. Raihan rolled his eyes in response, laughing as he threw his hairband at Leon and hit him square in the face, causing the other man to break from his pose and step backward against the lockers from the surprise attack, a large smirk on his face as the hairband fell to the floor.

“Hey ‘Galar’s Greatest Champion’” Raihan did air quotes as he spoke before placing his hands back down against his knees, “That pose doesn’t work as well without your cape blowing behind you and your signature cap!” As Leon looked down at his shirtless body, Raihan’s orange Rotom phone floated out of his backpack and Raihan gave it a smile and a thumb’s up as it snapped a selfie of him.

“Come on…” Leon pouted before striking the pose one more time, “You don’t think I look good doing this shirtless? Seriously? Get your eyes checked, man!” 

Raihan glanced back up at him, looking at his body. His toned muscles showed more while he held the pose, his skin, a little lighter brown than Raihan’s, was slightly wet from sweat from the heated match they just had. Oh no, Raihan didn’t mean he looked bad without the cape, quite the contrary, but there wasn’t any way he could, or would, say that aloud. He averted his eyes, looking down at the floor quickly, hoping the blush wasn’t visible on his face as he sneered, “C’mon, stop that, I don’t have much else to throw at you!”

“The more you take off, the more you can throw at me!” Leon pointed out, chuckling, as he began placing his Poké Balls in his locker.

“Y-you’re joking… r-right?” Raihan muttered, body tense as he dared not to look up at Leon and show his reddened face to the champion.

“Of course!” Leon laughed as he closed his locker. He turned to look at the other man, a smile, as always on his face, “Hey, I’ve been wondering why you don’t just move? You’re strong, really strong, and could easily be a champion in any other region, so why stay here and continue to try to beat me?”

“We’re rivals. It’s kind of obvious, if I leave, then I’d be admitting defeat.” Raihan answered simply, crossing his arms in front of him, his Rotom phone floating in for another quick selfie.

“Oh...” Leon responded, his cheerful smile slipping to a frown for a split second before his smile returned, but still, it caused Raihan to worry that he said the wrong thing and upset the man. “I’m going to head into the showers, are you showering too?”

“Nah, I uh, I want to chill here for a bit.” 

“Cool. See you later, before you head back to Hammerlocke?” Leon asked, heading to the door.

Raihan gave a small wave to Leon, “Yep. See ya.” He heard the door open and close before sighing and looking straight ahead of him at the now empty room. The Rotom phone moved towards him, butting him in the arm, which caused Raihan to glance over at it. 

“What?” He asked the Rotom.

The Rotom narrowed its eyes at him as it directed at the door Leon went out of, buzzing a few times.

“I’m not going after him… what are you talking about?” Raihan sighed again, placing his hands in his face, “Is it that obvious?” He muttered against his hands as his Rotom came over to comfort him, rubbing against Raihan’s head, a small electrical charge building that caused his hair to begin standing on end. “Being his rival? Fighting him constantly? Ten-nil? They’re all just so I can spend time with him. So, I can see him in-person. So that I can get to know him more and dear Arceus he is even more perfect than they portray on the telly.” Raihan bit his lips, looking back at his Rotom, which was looking worriedly at Raihan. “I know, I’m a hopeless romantic, but how do I tell him? Or get him to know? He’s oblivious to anything I do or say or—” The Rotom phone once again butted him in the arm before floating over to the door that Leon went through. 

“W-wha… ooohhh…” Raihan muttered, finally realizing what the Rotom was getting at. Leon had gone through the wrong door, per usual. Raihan’s expression fell flat when he heard the many fans of Leon cheer and scream and cry when he entered the room they were in while wearing nothing but his shorts and leggings. “Great. Hear that, Rotom?” Raihan muttered, holding his hand out as the Rotom flew back to him for some petting, “Those are my true rivals…” 

Leon entered the changing room once again, slamming the door shut quickly as the screams upstairs faded. His face was red, hair messier than when he left, and he looked a little dazed as he giggled. “I, uh, I went the wrong way.”

“Oh, I know,” Raihan muttered, biting the inside of his cheek as he couldn’t help the jealousy that he felt towards Leon’s fans. The fans that didn’t understand boundaries, the ones who always got too close for comfort, the ones who couldn’t keep their hands off the Champion, those were the ones that upset Raihan the most. Raihan's fans were chill and relaxed, while Leon's were always wild and ravenous, and Raihan could never understand how Leon could manage them all, but he never seemed bothered by them, unlike Raihan... but, mostly, Raihan disliked the massive amount of fans screaming for autographs when the two were together because he just wanted to spend some time with Leon and not have to deal with his fans in public. He couldn't hide his jealousy, even though he thought it dumb. 

“You’d think I’d know by now; I’ve been here so many times—”

“You go the wrong way every single time, but you’ve never gone up where the fans are waiting before… that’s new.” Raihan said flatly but looking at Raihan and thinking about his poor sense of directions turned Raihan’s frown into a smile quickly, replacing his sour mood. “You’re so silly, Leon.”

“Trust me, I know!” He laughed, “I just suck with directions, I need Charizard with me all the time, ah but you know that!” He walked over to the door on the far left of the room, hand on the doorknob, pausing before opening it, “This… this is the showers, correct?” Raihan nodded, a large smile still on his face, “Thanks, Raihan!” Leon said before entering the showers.

Raihan had his elbow on his knee, propping his chin up, as he continued to stare at the door Leon had entered, that large grin never leaving his face while his cheeks were rosy with a red blush. He exhaled deeply, closing his eyes, “I freaking love him…” He said softly in a dreamy voice as Rotom buzzed, smiled, and snapped another selfie of Raihan, which he promptly saved in a special folder that had images that the public would never see.


	2. Raihan's Plan

Raihan was lying on his bed in his parent’s house. His room was filled to the brim with trophies on every space possible and medals hanging on the dark blue walls along with posters of dragon-type Pokémon. He was tossing his hairband up into the air before catching it again, repeating that cycle as he was lost in thought about everything that had happened the past days. The time he wanted to spend with Leon after the final tournament was cut short because of Leon’s fans, who crowded around him, demanding autographs and pictures, pushing Raihan away from the Champion. 

“Next time?” He had called to Leon, but he couldn’t hear him over the fan’s cries. Defeated in more than one way, Raihan took a Flying Taxi back to his family home on the outskirts of Hammerlocke, which is where he had been for a few days. After resting for such a long time, he knew his Pokémon would be itching to practice their battling once again, but Raihan hadn't been in the mood to practice for the countless amounts of gym battles to come when the next tournament came. He had mainly stayed in his room since coming back, which was unusual for him, as he usually went to Hammerlocke to train at the gym sunup to sundown, but he had a purpose for his resting, to think out his master plan...

“Raihan!”

His mind snapped from his thoughts as he heard his mother’s voice echo from downstairs, the hairband falling onto his face as he pushed it off and grimaced. He decided not to answer her and instead turned onto his side, facing towards the wall, trying to go back to thinking about his plan. Usually, she left him alone, but not today, as she came up the stairs to his room and entered his personal space.

“Raihan you’ve been in here for a while now, I’ve only seen you for meals! Are you going to train anytime soon?” She questioned him, staring at his back as he didn't turn around when she walked in.

“Eventually.” He answered back as he stared at his many posters on the wall, the largest was of Leon with his Charizard, signed, of course.

She sighed as silence fell upon the two of them, neither speaking for a few seconds before she finally piped up once again, “You’re always so focused on training, Raihan… maybe you should… stop.”

His eyes widened the second she suggested to stop training, sitting up to look at her, “What are you saying?” He said, his voice shaking. She had never suggested something he stop his training before, usually, she was quite supportive of his conquest to become a better gym leader, so to hear her suggest it now was a shock to him.

“You’re already a gym leader! Gym leaders make great money—why keep trying to become the champion? What more is it going to gain you? You’re already about as popular as he is and your battles are always watched, fighting Leon is… well, pointless.” She said flatly as he stared at her with disbelieving eyes. 

“Didn’t you always say you’d support me?” He muttered, pulling his legs closer to his body as he wrapped his arms around them, his gaze falling to the bedsheets, not able to look her in the eyes anymore.

She leaned against the doorframe, “I did, I do, but, Raihan dear, you’re not getting any younger. Maybe put your champion training aside instead to search for love? Someone to be with you throughout your life, to raise a family with, doesn’t that sound lovely? Why focus so hard on your training when you’re already almost equal to Leon?”

Raihan tensed his body the second she began talking about finding love, “I… I want to focus on training—”

“But don’t you want love? You can find it much easier now, while you’re young, and then you’d have something the Champion doesn’t—a wife.”

Raihan bit back his reply, which was ‘I don’t want him to have a wife, I want him to have a husband.’ He knew his mother, all she ever spoke of was him getting a girlfriend, a wife, grandchildren, that was her plan, a plan he didn’t share. She didn’t know, neither did his dad, that he was gay. His family didn’t understand, wouldn’t understand, as anytime he commented on homosexuality or defended it, they would look at him with wide eyes and a shocked expression and ask him in a strained voice, ‘Are you gay?’ And he’d dismiss their accusation and change the subject quickly because he wasn't sure at the time if he was or wasn't, but one thing he was sure about was that he didn’t want his parents to question his sexuality and isolate themselves from him because their views were rather polarizing; however, once he figured out who he was and who he liked he stopped arguing with them and just listened, just took it because he hated causing an uproar and instead stayed silent, just like now, he stayed silent as she continued speaking.

“I’m just looking out for you, for your future.” She said, taking a step into his room.

‘No.’ He thought, biting his lip hard enough to break the skin, ‘You’re thinking about your future.’ But he dare not say these thoughts out loud, as that would just cause a huge argument that he didn't want to deal with. He finally glanced at her with narrowed eyes before standing up quickly and grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder, “I’m going to train now.” He said simply, pushing past her, his shoulder brushing against hers. “I’m going to be Champion, then I’ll focus on… everything else.” He muttered, softly, his voice breaking at the end of the sentence as he coughed to try and clear away the emotions.

She took a step away from him, pushing herself against the doorframe as he began heading downstairs, “I… well, alright…” Was all she said, all she could say because being Champion wasn’t a bad goal, but still, he knew that wasn’t the goal she wanted him to focus on. 

But he didn’t care. He had his master plan formulated finally—a plan to take Leon out and confess to him.


	3. Leon's Plan

Leon closed the door behind him, sighing deeply. He had been held up by his fans and it took such a long time to just get home, but finally, he was here, back on the outskirts of Postwick in his old home.

“Bro!” Leon’s exhausted expression changed the second he heard Hop’s voice, a wide smile gracing his face as his younger brother came barreling down the stairs and wrapped his arms around him.

“Hop!” Leon said, “I missed you!” He patted his younger brother’s head, “You’ve gotten taller! And your hair! Are you growing it out like mine?”

“Yeah! Doesn’t it look good! I think I’m going to be taller than you, one day!” Hop said, bouncing back, his whole body shaking with enjoyment at seeing his brother, it had been awhile since Leon had come home since he was usually busy with training and traveling, “Oh Leon I have so much to show and tell you—” Before Leon could even put his bag down, Hop was dragging him up the stairs and speaking a mile per second, “So I’ve been taking pictures of my Wooloo and practicing battle strategies and collecting so many Poké Balls and—oh, I recorded your matches on the telly for you so you can go back and analyze them—and I’ve been practicing my throws and ohmyArceus I’ve been getting really good at battling I’m really thinking about trying out in the next tournament and I’m so going to beat you and become champion and—oh I’ve been keeping your room tidy and clean—and me Wooloo and I are getting along great and my friend in Postwick has been watching your matches with me and they're also thinking about becoming a challenger next time and—”

Leon’s brain was turning with every word Hop said, already becoming overloaded by his brother’s fast-speaking explanations of everything, yet he tried his best to keep up, saying between his younger brother’s breaths, “Oh that’s nice… Huh, how’s that going?... Hm? You’re going to try to beat me? That’s what I like to hear! … Thanks Hop… You’re friend? I don’t know if I’ve met… uh, slow down Hop!” Finally, Hop had dragged him to Leon's room which was right next to Hop's. Hop let go of Leon and plopped down on Leon’s bed as the Champion looked around his old room. It had been a while since he’d been home, hotels had become his main place of living since becoming Galar’s Champion, and he felt a rush of nostalgia as he looked at his cap collection hanging on the wall along with posters of legendary Pokémon and other champions from around the world as well as rewards for coming in first place in multiple different Pokémon battles throughout his younger years. Finally, after he took it all in, he sat down next to Hop, wrapping an arm around his brother, ruffling his hair, “I missed being here…”

Hop managed to squirm his way out of Leon’s grip, pouting as he tried to fix his hair back to the way he liked it, “So, brother, how was the Championships!?” Hop asked, finally giving Leon a moment to speak.

“It was… good?”

Hop paused from fixing his hair, raising an eyebrow at Leon’s answer, “Good? That’s… it?”

“Um, yep…” Leon mumbled, taking his cap off and placing it beside him along with his travel bag.

Hop’s large grin fell off his face, “What’s wrong?” Hop asked, placing his hands in his lap, “Usually you come home and are so happy and stoked that you won again and talk about how the games were great! Not… good? You know?”

“I know, Hop.” Leon sighed, “Just something’s been on my mind…”

“What?” Hop asked, “I’m here for you… I know the championships are difficult, and stressful, but you’re doing great… Raihan has yet to win against you, and he’s a tough one to beat with his dragons and weather-control!”

“That’s just it!” Leon muttered as he leaned his back against the wall that his bed was against. “I don’t get Raihan anymore.”

Hop, once again, paused, his eyebrows furrowed, “… I don’t understand.”

“At first, he was just a normal rival, fighting against everyone to have a crack at beating me and becoming Champion. We’d fight, I’d beat him, he’d looked upset about it and we’d exchange a few words and he’d declare he’d beat me next time, and that’d be it…” Leon muttered, “Then, he started waiting for me after the matches, he’d want to talk to me more, he’d compliment me, my battles, my looks, and every single time I beat him now he looks… I dunno, never mad or upset he lost, always just… chill? Happy? I don’t know how to explain it… he’s different than when we first started battling.”

Hop leaned against the wall as well, watching Leon as he spoke, finally cutting in to say, “He sounds nice?”

“Of course, he’s nice! But, he wasn’t at first, I mean, he was civil, but he wasn’t as friendly, he was just… a new gym leader and rival. He always left to train as soon as our match finished, acting for the audience and getting them riled up during the match, then he'd snap a few selfies when he lost and off he’d go. Now? He stays and chats, takes selfies with me in them, and he always asks about me questions… it’s nice, it’s different, than what I’ve been dealing with away from here.” 

Hop looked away for a second, thinking, scratching his head, “Uh… maybe he wants to be your friend?” Leon’s silence made Hop continue to talk as he tried to explain, “Uh… I mean, haven’t you spent time with him, outside of matches? See, this Postwick kid and I want to be rivals one day, but we’re friends, too. We look out for each other…”

“No, I haven’t spent time with him outside of seeing him at the finals…”

“That’s probably it, Leon. You’re his main competition, he’s the strongest gym leader, he’s the closest to you in power, makes sense he wants to get to know you better, to befriend you.”

Leon wrapped his arms around himself, “I… maybe so? I didn’t really think about that, but… I don’t spend much time with him, we usually go our separate ways after the matches…”

Hop chuckled at his comment before pointing out, “You don’t spend much time with anyone outside of your family. Remember Sonia? You haven’t talked about her or seen her in years.”

Leon looked away from Hop sheepishly, “She’s been… busy, I bet, or I think, uh, I mean, you know I’m… not really the best at making and keeping friends.” He mumbled.

“Maybe try to hang out with him? Make a friend? I know your champion lifestyle takes up a lot of your time but…” Hop jumped out of bed, unable to sit still any longer, excited at the prospect of helping his brother, “I think it’ll be good for you to have a friend your age anyhow!”

Just when Hop finished his sentence, Leon's own Rotom phone began ringing, floating up to Leon, the screen showing that Raihan was calling him.

“It’s him…” Leon muttered, taking the Rotom in his hand.

“He already has your number?"

"He asked for it around the seventh match," Leon replied.

"Well, answer it!” Hop almost shouted, motioning for Leon to answer it.

Leon waited for it to ring a few more seconds before answering, “Hello? … uh, yeah, sure I can meet you at the Hammerlocke vault tomorrow, it's not a problem… uh, ok, bye…”

Hop was jumping in place as Leon hung up, “You’re gonna make a new friend! That’ll be good for you bro!”

“I… do I really need a new friend?” He muttered, looking at the orange phone in his hands, “Won’t friends just… slow down my training? And I already have so much on my mind at one time, it’s hard to keep up with everything…” 

“Yes! You need one! They’re always there for you, oh, and maybe he’ll even help you train? Trust me, that Postwick kid, always there for me bro! Legit, you need one.”

“…Fine, I’ll go.”

“And you'll what?” Hop asked as he grabbed Leon’s hand, trying to pull his older brother up.

“And... what?” Leon questioned, not understanding what his brother way saying as he continued to let Hop try to pull him up, finally getting up after getting a small kick from watching him try a few seconds in vain.

“You both will have a…” He sighed when his brother looked at his with one eyebrow raised, “Do I have to spell it out for you?” Hop asked, letting go of Leon’s hand to cross his own arms in front of him as he gave his brother a glare.

Leon’s grin grew wider when he realized what Hop was getting at, “We’ll have a Champion Time!” He cheered, picking up his cap and tossing it in the air, catching the cap back onto his head in a neat trick that he had been practicing for the crowds.

“There you go!” Hop smiled, clapping at his brother’s performance, “Now c’mon!” He began pulling Leon again, the Champion laughing, “I HAVE to show you my improved Poké Ball throw! I’ve been practicing for DAYS!”


	4. Confessions

Hammerlocke was a large city in the middle of Galar. While it wasn’t as large as Wyndon, Hammerlocke’s architecture made it unique and memorable to many who visited. The city was home to a castle built in the middle-ages and was surrounded by large walls and much of the architecture incorporated Medieval designs in their newer buildings. Besides the many amenities for tourists and trainers alike, the Dragon Gym, Raihan’s gym, was housed in the castle that the town was built around. Leon admired the city below him, as he always loved the history that was housed in Hammerlocke, while his Charizard flew him to Hammerlocke’s Vault to meet with Raihan. A small group of young children playing hopscotch outside stopped and pointed at him, waving and running after his Charizard as it began to descend. Leon waved back, smiling, enjoying the admiration he got from the people of Galar. Charizard landed in a medium-sized courtyard outside of the Vault, and Leon spotted Raihan who was sitting on a bench beside the Vault.

“Took you long enough.” Raihan smiled a sharp-toothed smile, standing up to meet Leon and Charizard. “Did you get lost again, Leon?” He teased as the Champion climbed down from his Charizard’s back.

“Hah hah…” Leon muttered in a sarcastic tone as he stepped onto the ground, “No, Charizard knew the way.” He scratched under his Charizard’s chin, the large orange dragon-like Pokémon closed its eyes and rubbed against his trainer’s hand. “Hop wanted to introduce me to his new friend and my parents wanted to talk with me before I left.”

“Don’t they know you’re going back home after this?” Raihan smiled, reaching to pet Charizard as well, “Hey buddy, good to see you again on non-battle terms!” The Pokémon thumped its large tail against the ground, the fire at the tip of his tail increasing in size, happy from the attention he was getting.

“You know how family is, you leave for a few hours and they act like you’re leaving for a few years.” Leon laughed, and Raihan forced a smile. He didn’t truly know what that was like as he hardly ever went home in the first place, but he pretended to understand.

“Well,” Raihan said, moving away from Charizard and Leon to the door of the old Hammerlocke Vault, “Why don’t we get going so you can get back to them before nightfall?”

Leon stopped petting Charizard, who tilted its head curiously at the sudden lack of pets, “Sounds good to me. Hey Char, wait out here for a little bit, alright? I’ll be back shortly.” The fire Pokémon nodded its head and began to stretch its wings out before curling up on the ground for a quick nap as Raihan held the door open for the Champion.

“Have you ever been here?” Raihan asked, following Leon inside.

“When I was a kid,” Leon answered, looking around at the lobby. As soon as they entered, they were met with a clerk standing behind a desk, waiting to take one’s payment, but when saw the Gym Leader and the Champion she smiled and let the two in without payment. To the right of them were different, smaller displays with the Dragon Gym’s logo on the wall.

“Yeah? Man, we were close when we were kids, I’m surprised we never came here together, this was my favorite spot! In fact, I worked here for a long time before becoming the Gym Leader, and I still visit here a lot, it’s a, you know, home away from home to me. I know all the displays by heart.” Raihan went over to a large glass case, gesturing towards it, “See all these trophies?” 

“Oh, yeah, I remember this display!” Leon cut-in excitedly, looking at the mixture of large gold, medium-sized silver, and smaller bronze trophies. Many of them had dragon-type Pokémon or trainers on the top of them, some even had both. “These are all the trophies that the past gym leaders of Hammerlocke earned throughout their lives! Some even made it all the way and became Champions, and their trophies are housed here!”

Raihan grinned at Leon’s knowledge of the display as he went to stand in front of the display. He placed a palm on the glass before saying, “This has always been one of my favorite displays. When I gave tours, I used to be able to name every trophy, why it was given, and who earned it, and when I locked up for the night, I would just… stare at them, imagining the day I’d earn one.”

Leon looked over at Raihan, who was gazing at the trophies, a wistful look on his face. “Beautiful…” Leon muttered, his eyes widening for a second in surprise at what he just said out loud as he glanced back at the trophies bashfully, “The trophies, I mean, they were always my favorites, too. Showed me the ambition of those in Galar, and I want that ambition to continue, from the young to the old!” 

Raihan beamed as he turned to look at Leon and pointed at himself, “Hey, when I win the championship, I’ll keep promoting that ambition in all of Galar’s residents! You won’t have to worry about the next Champion not talking with the future trainers and driving them to face me!”

Leon rolled his eyes, “Sure, sure, let’s see,” Raihan watched, placing a hand on his hip, as Leon began to count on his fingers, “Ten matches and you still haven’t beaten me yet? But eh, keep dreaming, as I say it’s always good to have a dream.” Leon grinned at Raihan’s scowl as he walked away from the trophy case, leaving Leon to look over the trophies once again as well as think about his old friend. He had always enjoyed their rivalry and it was fun to make jokes at Raihan’s suspense, but he couldn’t deny that he would make a good champion if it came down to him winning. Outside of battles, he was a kind man, a little timid at times, but overall accepting of his fans and he constantly encouraged people to try their best and never give up, even if a trainer lost to him he’d encourage them to try again. There was no denying his love for Pokémon and people. Furthermore, in battle, he knew how to get the crowd roaring and howling even better than Leon, as Raihan was a bit of a showman, and lost much of his timid nature while under the spotlight. Leon enjoyed watching Raihan’s performances and strategies, and he didn’t mind when the crowd began to chant Raihan’s name, hoping for him to win, as it always just made Leon try that much harder…

“Leon! Where are you, outer space?” Raihan’s voice snapped Leon out of his thoughts.

“Huh? Oh… right, sorry, I was lost in thought… again.” Leon mumbled, walking over to the next display in the main room of the vault where Raihan was standing.

“You’re always lost in thought! That’s why you’re always going the wrong direction because you can’t stop thinking for a second to realize you’ve been going the wrong way for an hour!” Raihan muttered harshly and Leon just answered him with a simple shrug, a wide grin still on his face.

Raihan motioned towards the next display which held different types of gold and silver pottery and plates, “This here was what Hammerlocke was known for producing back in the day.”

Leon looked at the shining, well-taken care of gilded plates, and he began to snicker, pointing into the plate, “Look, look Raihan, c’mere, look how silly it makes you look!”

Leon pulled Raihan over to him, “H-hey…” Raihan muttered as Leon pointed into the plate, and, upon seeing his own stretched out reflection in the plates, he also began to laugh at strange they made both of them look; however, when Raihan glanced over at Leon, who was still laughing at the reflection in the plates, he noticed how close their faces were, how close their bodies were, and how Leon was still holding onto his arm, and he took a step backward, unlatching himself from Leon as his face turned red. He quickly went to a door on the other side of the room that led to more displays. “Come on, f-follow me…” He stammered, opening the door and leaving the lobby quickly, not waiting for Leon.

Leon turned around, “Huh?” He asked, but Raihan didn’t answer back and so the Champion followed, leaving through the door, passing by multiple other displays, Raihan not stopping to talk about them and Leon didn’t have much time to look at them as he followed the Gym Leader. “Hey, hang on, Raihan!” He called to him as his steps faster. Leon tried to keep up with him without running through the Vault, speed-walking through displays of old dragon Pokémon bones and fossils. They went through another door and were outside, and Leon paused for a moment, amazed at the castle-like walls that surrounded them, the stone staircase leading higher and higher to the top of the vault, “This must be new…” He said to himself before noticing that Raihan was racing forward and Leon ran after him. Raihan went into another building, one that resembled a watchtower, and Leon barreled in after him. “Raihan why—”

“I had to show you this,” He said as he turned around to face Leon, his blush gone, and he held his hands up, “Ta-da!”

Leon glanced at the tapestries, “What is…” He stopped, gasping at them, “This is…”

“Our history.” Raihan smiled, coming to stand next to a gawking Leon, “It took a while to get all four of them, but here they are… I uh, I knew you’d like this, our newest display, that’s why I asked you here…”

“This is amazing!” The tapestries depicted the two heroes, the first kings of Galar, who defeated an awful evil during their time with a legendary sword and shield. All the colors in the tapestry were worn save for red, which was dull but was the only color left; however, it didn’t take away from the story tied to each piece.

Raihan shrugged before putting his hands in his pockets, trying to act nonchalant at Leon’s amazement, “It was difficult locating all of them, but with my help and my Pokémon’s help, we finally got them all in the Vault. I’ll admit,” His voice softened, “you kind of inspired me to find them all and get them here since you love Galar history so much—”

“Raihan this exhibit is the best!” Leon turned to Raihan and his whole face was lit up with excitement, and Raihan gazed upon the man once again with a loving look, his cheerfulness one of the many aspects that made Raihan adore Leon. “Wait, you’re saying I inspired you?”

“Yeah, you always do inspire me… Hey uh, Leon…”

Leon had turned his gaze back to the tapestries, “Yeah?”

“Uh… come on, let’s go outside, alright? I have something I want to talk to you about…” Raihan muttered, deciding to tell him outside instead. Leon nodded, pulling his gaze away from the tapestries. The two men left the room and went back outdoors, “And that,” Raihan said, bowing in front of Leon, “was Hammerlocke’s great Vault.”

Leon clapped in response, “Well done, you’re a great guide to have!”

Raihan smiled at the compliment, scratching his cheek, “Aw well, it’s nice to know if this gym leader thing stops working out, I got a back-up job!” He then walked to the walls of the battlement, “Look, this is my favorite spot in the whole city.” He said softly, and Leon came to stand next to him, the two looking out at the city and the sunset sky.

“Wow! I can see why; these views are amazing!” Leon gasped, looking out at the city, then the sky, then down at the courtyard where Charizard was sleeping. After a few seconds of silence between the two, the Champion glanced over at Raihan, “So, should I tip the tour guide?”

Raihan chuckled as he turned around, leaning his back against the wall, “No tips, but he’d like it if you were to accompany him to dinner tonight.”

“I think I can do that, only because you’re the greatest tour guide ever!” Leon shouted out into the setting sky, which caused Raihan to laugh as the Champion’s voice echoed throughout the city. Slowly, though, his laughter subsided, a silence falling over them, Raihan’s smile disappearing as he closed his eyes.

“Hey, Leon…” He said quietly.

“Yeah?” The Champion asked, turning towards Raihan, who had now opened his eyes to look up at the sky, a frown set on his troubled face. Leon quickly felt worried, a pit forming in his stomach, “Um, I’m sorry, was I too loud? I didn’t mean—”

“No, no, it’s not that,” Raihan muttered, crossing his arms in front of him as he began to tap his foot, still staring upward.

“Is everything alright?” Leon asked, taking a step toward Raihan. He had never seen the other look so somber, and he was afraid that he offended him in some way. 

“Leon, do you… like me?” Raihan asked, cocking his head slightly to the side, biting his bottom lip as soon as he spoke.

Leon paused for a moment, a little surprised by the question, “Of course, Raihan… I mean, I know I can be a bit aloof and busy with my work, but… I’m here, with you now, I want to be your friend again, to get to know you like I used to know you. I’m sorry I haven’t been the best—” 

“No…” Raihan muttered, glancing at Leon, his face completely red as he glared at the Champion, his cheeks puffed up at Leon’s answer.

“Are you getting sick? Your face is totally red. It is getting colder…” Leon asked, and before Raihan could even respond the Champion took his cape off and wrapped it around Raihan’s shoulders, the cape draping over his hoodie. “Here Raihan, let’s get you indoors—"

“No!” Raihan snapped, his face even redder as he gently pushed Leon away, “Leon, I like you…”

“I know you do, that’s why you’ve been so kind to me, that’s why you’ve been trying to become friends with me—”

“I like you a lot, more than that, I want to date you!”

“I know—wait, what did you say?” Leon was taken aback, his expression turning to shock as Raihan pulled his own hairband down over his eyes. Leon blinked a few times, looking at Raihan, and his reaction, and knew that he hadn’t misheard. “You’re gay?” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth, and he grimaced at his own words as Raihan sighed a deep sigh, “I-I’m sorry, I mean, I uh…” Leon scratched the back of his head, wanting to imitate Raihan and pull his own cap down to hide his face, “It’s a big surprise to me, I didn’t know—"

“Well, you do now!” Raihan laughed nervously, still hiding his eyes.

“Yeah, I guess I do know now!” Leon chuckled, fidgeting nervously as he glanced to the side of him, back towards the city, unsure of what to do or say to Raihan’s confession, a tangle of words racing through his head.

“Um…” Raihan muttered from the awkward silence, turning his back to Leon, “Let’s just forget this, forget everything ok? Today didn’t happen! I was never here! And you weren’t either! Um, yeah, let’s go with that! Or um, I mean, we can be friends, again, or new friends, or…” He clapped his hands against his cheeks, groaning, “Arceus, this cannot be happening to me!” He muttered out loud as Leon rubbed his own arm as he watched Raihan’s breakdown. 

“Forget today…? No! No no no!” Leon quickly said, “I don’t want to forget… I mean, let’s talk this out… uh… maybe without your hairband covering half your face…” He stepped over to Raihan, reaching up to pull the hairband off, revealing the other’s green eyes as Raihan stayed turned away from him, “It just surprised me, is all, I didn’t think…”

“You didn’t think? Really? I thought I was doing well at flirting…” Raihan mumbled under his breath. 

“Dude, you called that flirting? Really?” Finally, Raihan laughed, even though it was soft and short, it still pleased Leon to hear the other laugh instead of fret. Leon placed a hand on Raihan’s shoulder, gently pulling the other man around to look at him again. “I want to talk…”

“I don’t want to…” Raihan muttered softly, clearly embarrassed by the whole ordeal as his eyes darted around to everything but Leon. “Things… can’t go back?”

“Would you want them to?”

“Well, no.” Raihan sighed, “But… I don’t even know…” He chuckled nervously, before taking a deep breath in and out, his eyes resting on Leon. “It’s just, this has been way more difficult than I thought it’d be. I thought, you know, I’d just say it and well, I didn’t think beyond that actually…” He groaned at his own lack of preparation, “I thought I had everything thought-out…”

“It’s alright, it’s alright Raihan, just um, let’s talk about it, from the beginning…” Leon said, dropping his hand from Raihan’s shoulder.

“Ok… well, uh, I… like you, a lot, more than just a rival, more than just a friend, I want to be with you as a boyfriend,” Raihan said in a whisper.

Leon nodded his head, “Right, you want to date me.”

“Yeah… but um,” Raihan looked down at the ground, “If you’re not…” He gestured between them, “into men, I get it.” He looked back at Leon, his eyes a little wet, “I really don’t want to mess this up, what we have, or are getting back, I mean. I miss being around you… even just as a friend, or rival…”

“You’re not messing anything up, Raihan, get that out of your head!” Leon shifted his weight as he rested against the wall, a thoughtful look on his face, “Well,” He muttered, “I’ve thought about it, before, when I was a teenager. Less now, romance tends to fall to the wayside when you’re Champion, even though you get plenty of people professing their love to you every day.” He chuckled, and Raihan did as well, although he couldn’t help but wonder if their confessions were better than his, “Guess they just weren’t the right people, you know?”

“I learned who I was when I was a teenager, after some thought to it,” Raihan said, smiling sadly at the difficulty he had coming to terms with it. “It feels good, though, even now in this embarrassing situation I put myself in.”

“Can I ask, how long have you been feeling this way? How long have you liked me?”

Raihan mulled the question around a bit, “Well, I don’t really know if I felt it when we were kids. I liked you, but I also wanted to beat you in every battle we had…”

“And you did!” Leon cut-in, smirking, “Too bad you can’t now.”

Raihan stuck his tongue out at the Champion for a second, “You’re not funny. Anyways, as I was saying, I didn’t really know when I was a kid, but when I was a teenager… yeah, I uh, I missed you, and I wanted you in my life again, but we had drifted so far apart, you were so focused on training, I just didn’t think there was anything left of us… but then I became a gym leader and started getting to the Finals, and, while I always wanted to become Champion, another reason was that I just wanted to see if there was anything left between us, and, well, there was… to me, at least… a spark… you were my first crush and that hadn’t gone away.”

Leon physically winced as soon as Raihan began speaking about them drifting apart, “I’m sorry Raihan, I’m sorry I let our friendship fall apart… I should’ve tried more.”

Raihan shrugged, “You were busy, had a goal in mind, and you achieved that goal, so it was worth it.”

“Hurting my friends was not what I wanted, though. At least I can try to make it better now…” Leon sighed, “But, you liked me even back then huh?”

“Yeah, guess that crush never went away…”

“I’m alright with that.”

“You’re alright with… huh?”

“I mean, I uh, I…” Leon coughed, clearing his throat from the emotions building up as he gave Raihan his famous Champion smile, “Let’s try it. Dating, I mean!”

Raihan’s eyebrows rose in astonishment, “Really?”

Leon scratched his cheek, still smiling, a blush spreading across his face, “Yes, really. I um, like you a lot Raihan, always have, even now, but I don’t know how it’ll work out, I can’t say for certain, but I feel… good about this, about being with you. I think you’re… good, uh, good-looking? Or, you know, handsome, and… nice, kind, sweet, uh, i-if I keep complimenting you my words will turn to mush. I want to try this with you.” Leon spoke as he went back to the edge of the battlements, and Raihan followed, standing next to him. They both looked out at Hammerlocke. 

“I… I don’t know what to say. I-I feel so much right now…” Raihan’s voice was like a whisper, softer than the wind, and Leon reached for Raihan’s hand slowly, the other pulling his back in a short jerk, but relaxing when Leon glanced over and smiled at him. Their fingers intertwined, and they stayed like that for a few minutes, watching the stars begin to come out.

“So… dinner?” Raihan managed to say, a mixture of happiness, embarrassment, joy, sadness, and love colliding within him, and he thought that maybe some food would make the emotions easier to digest.

“Yeah, it’s a date!” Leon smirked, and Raihan’s face lit up red again, a smile crossing his face at just hearing Leon call it a date. 

“Jirachi must’ve heard my wishes, I can’t even begin to imagine that this is really happening…” Raihan said to himself as the two began to head back down to the lobby of the Vault, hand-in-hand.


	5. Date Night

As the two went back into the main lobby, the clerk glanced over at them, and Raihan felt a sudden realization hit him that he was still holding onto Leon’s hand. Reluctantly, he let go of it before she saw them, and instead held onto his own hand behind his back. Leon glanced at him curiously, but continued onward, out of the Vault, to where Charizard slept.

“Charizard, hey, Char…” Leon said, trying to wake the sleeping fire Pokémon. Charizard stirred, yawning a large yawn in Leon’s direction. “We’re going to get dinner, want to come?” The fire dragon shook its head, laying his head back down. Leon placed a hand on his hip, staring at his Pokémon, “Man Raihan, that battle wore Charizard out! He hasn’t recovered from it,” He chuckled, turning back to face Raihan, “So, what’s the best place around here to grab a bite to eat?”

“Well, I was thinking about the Pizzeria on the main street—”

“I know the one you're talking about!” Leon said, excitedly, “Come on, I’ll lead the way!” 

Before Leon could take off Raihan grabbed him by the hand, “Are you sure you want to lead the way?” He sneered, causing Leon to roll his eyes.

“I won’t get us lost…” He narrowed his eyes, looking down the two different roads, “Um, maybe, actually, yeah you can lead.” Raihan let go of Leon and began walking down the old stone road, buildings surrounding them as the two walked beside each other.

“So, um, the first date… what are you expecting from it?” Leon questioned, causing Raihan's face to redden.

“Um, I’m not sure, just… a normal night with you and pizza, I guess?” He shrugged.

“Do you want anything else? Maybe afterward we could fly around on Charizard? Oh, we could stay up all night and see the sunrise! Or maybe—”

Raihan shook his head, laughing softly, as he gently pushed Leon's shoulder, “You sound more excited than me about this dating thing and I'm the one who asked you out!”

It was Leon’s turn to blush as he glanced away, “I uh, yeah, well, I am excited about it, I can't help that!”

“Come on,” Raihan said, racing up a few steps and holding the door open for Leon, “There will be many more dates to come, we don’t have to cram it all into one night. Let’s just enjoy this time, together.” 

Leon smiled, walking into the restaurant with Raihan close behind, the smell of freshly baked bread and melting cheese hit their noses as soon as they walked in. A hostess greeted them excitedly, holding two menus in her hand, pressing them against her chest to suppress a squeal of surprise from seeing Leon and Raihan. The crowd in the restaurant glanced over at the two men, whispers spreading throughout the eatery, peoples' Rotom phones taking pictures of them while others spoke rapidly about the Gym Leader and Champion. Leon took it all in, chest puffed, head held high, a large smile on his face. Raihan smiled too but was more hunched over, arms crossed in front of himself, gaze on the ground. The waitress showed them to their table, a red and white plaid tabletop covering the old wooden surface. They sat facing each other and were quickly waited on, a basket of freshly baked bread was placed on the table along with two glasses of water and their order of pizza taken to the kitchen quickly.

“So,” Leon broke the silence between them, the crowd around them still staring as he took a large bite out of a loaf of bread, “Do you, uh, come here often?”

Raihan stared at him, arms still crossed against him, “Can we not do the small talk?” He said, snidely.

Leon nodded, “Alright uh…” He finished the piece of bread, and put his hand out across the table, waiting for Raihan to take it and hold it.

Raihan looked at the hand, a grimace crossing his face as he looked away from Leon.

Leon pulled his hand back to his lap, “Um…” He muttered, looking worried, “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah…” Raihan muttered, a silence falling over them again as Leon searched for something to say or do to make Raihan respond more.

“Oh!” He said, excitedly, “Let’s snap a few photos!” This got Raihan’s attention as he turned back to look at Leon.

“I mean,” He said, mulling the idea around in his head, “Don’t you think the crowd has taken enough pictures of us?”

“Well, for them, and their social media, but let’s get some done for yours and mine!”

“Yours!?” Raihan snickered, “You never get on that thing!”

Leon scoffed, looking offended, “I do, at times—”

“What, like, once a year, at most? Sure.” Raihan replied.

“Well, I have a reason to use it now, since I’m with y—"

“Uh, Rotom, let’s take some pictures!” Raihan interrupted Leon, the orange phone flying out of his pocket. 

The first picture was of the restaurant and the lovely stonework and brick fireplace that cooked the pizzas. The second was of the bread basket and butter, which was already disappearing fast because of Leon. The third was one of Raihan himself, holding a peace sign and winking at the camera, the fourth selfie was of Leon, his mouth stuffed with bread, and the fifth was of their pizza, which arrived while the two men were goofing around with different camera modes and filters, and the last was Leon and Raihan, side-by-side, both holding up a slice of pizza, their faces close together. 

Both were chowing down on the pizza, stringy cheese hanging out of Leon’s mouth while Raihan took another slice from the pizza in the middle of the table, his spirits improved immensely from the picture-taking moment. “I want to take one more, outside, when we’re done.” Leon managed to mutter with a mouthful of cheese and bread and sauce.

Raihan tilted his head curiously, “Oh what?” He asked before taking a bite of his own slice.

He had swallowed his bite and was cleaning his mouth with a napkin as he answered Raihan, “Oh us, to remember this night, it's been uh, good for me… has it been good for you?”

Raihan grinned, putting the slice of pizza down on a plate in front of him, “Leon, I never want to hear you ask me if a night spent with you was good or not…” He muttered softly and Leon could barely hear him over the ambient sounds of the restaurant. 

When they left the restaurant, a crowd followed them, much to Raihan's chagrin. "I want to take a selfie under the starry sky with you!" Leon said loudly, and their audience cheered. 

"Pictures of the Gym Leader and the Champion, what luck!" Someone in the crowd had said. 

"Yes, oh, I'm going to get sooo many likes on these pics!" Another replied.

"But why are they together?" Another asked, and Raihan wanted to hide his face again. 

He took a step towards Leon and whispered, "I don't want a crowd around us..."

Leon looked at him, eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded, not caring about the reason as he all he cared about was what his date wanted. "I can get rid of them..." He whispered back before turning towards the crowd, "Hey everyone! How about an impromptu photo shoot? Me, you, and my Charizard! He's waiting out in front of the Vault, how about you go there first and start taking photos of him, and I'll be around in a bit? Sound good?" The crowd cheered and Leon smirked, striking his Champion pose, which caused the crowd to swoon, "Now go on, if you're not there when I get there, no photo, no complaints!" The crowd immediately began to disperse, leaving for Hammerlocke's Vault, leaving Leon and Raihan alone, finally.

"That..." Raihan muttered, astounded, "You didn't have to go that far, you're never going to get home before dawn with all those pictures..."

Leon looked back, a small smile on his face, "It's fine, it's worth it, for you..." He walked over to Raihan, pressing his forehead against his, but Raihan took a step back and glanced around before sighing. Leon watched him curiously, "What's the matter? We're alone now..."

"I-I know, it's just... I'm scared of the pictures, the photos... appearing online..." 

"Really? I didn't think you cared about what the media had to say about anything..."

"I don't..." Raihan sighed again as Leon walked over, wrapping an arm his waist and bringing him closer. "I don't want... certain people to know, not yet."

Leon looked a little sad, at first, but smiled again, nodding, deciding it best to not question it, "Alright, so, we don't tell people. I can do that, it's a secret, for now, I give you a Champion Promise."

Raihan laughed a little, wrapping his own arms around Leon for a quick hug, nudging his face against the top of Leon's head as Leon rested against Raihan's shoulder, his Rotom phone snapping the selfie of the two of them wrapped around each other, both smiling, with a starlit sky above.


End file.
